Ocado Founder Tim Steiner Stepping Down as CEO in Late 2027

Tim Steiner is leaving his job as chief executive of Ocado at the end of 2027, after running the company since it was founded in 2000. The Guardian reported the announcement, which came as Steiner, now 56, prepares to hand over to a new leader. He co-founded Ocado with two colleagues from Goldman Sachs and built it from an online grocery service into a technology company that sells its warehouse automation systems to supermarkets around the world.

The company is taking its time with the handoff. Ocado says it hopes to name a replacement before Steiner leaves, and according to Sky News, it has already spoken to Niklas Heuveldop, the CEO of Vonage, about the role. Ocado didn't confirm or deny this — it simply said it is working on long-term succession planning. After Steiner steps down as CEO, he will stay on for another year in what the company calls a "founder role," advising the board and sharing his knowledge until 2029.

Behind the scenes, there's been some friction at the top of the company. Earlier reports suggested that Ocado's board chair Adam Warby and another board member, Jörn Rausing, wanted to move Steiner out faster. But long-term investors backed Steiner and resisted the push. Warby, who used to run the software company OpenText and spent five years leading an executive search firm called Heidrick & Struggles, joined Ocado as chair in December 2024. His background in finding and placing executives adds an extra layer to this succession process. The board's statement that it is "grateful for Tim's continued leadership" is the standard language companies use after these kinds of internal disagreements.

Steiner owns about 2.35% of Ocado. This matters because it ties his personal wealth to how well the company's stock performs — the same stock price that he helped decide when to hand off leadership. His stake has historically been seen as proof that he thinks long-term, but it also means his conflicts with the board are more visible to investors watching the share price.

The board has changed several times recently. Gavin Patterson joined as a non-executive director in June 2024, and Cathy Graham took the same role in December 2025. Rick Haythornthwaite left the board in April 2025. These shifts mean the board is relatively new as it handles one of the biggest leadership changes in UK technology in recent years.

What this means for Ocado going forward comes down to what kind of leader the board is looking for. The company's current model is to license its warehouse technology to supermarkets rather than run its own grocery service in Britain. That means the next CEO needs to be good at selling expensive, complicated infrastructure deals to big retailers across North America, Europe, and Asia. That's different from what Steiner has done — he has been both founder and hands-on operator. The board will need to decide whether to hire someone from the technology sales world, someone who has run retail operations, or someone with experience in both.

Steiner has said he "remains fully committed to driving the company's strategy, operations and growth initiatives" until he leaves. Founders who stay on in advisory roles after stepping down sometimes provide real value. But they can also make it harder for the new CEO to fully take charge. The fact that Steiner's role ends in 2029 — it has a specific deadline and focuses on advising the board rather than running operations — should give the new CEO enough room to lead, as long as everyone respects the boundaries.

The timeline is now public, and the pressure is on. Between now and the end of 2027, investors will be watching every quarterly earnings report, in part to decide whether the board picked the right moment for this change.